


A Light In The Darkness

by Lainie (mislainieous)



Series: A Light in the Darkness [1]
Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Crack, It can get rather dark in here quickly and without warning, M/M, Slice of Life, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2018-12-31 19:20:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12139335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mislainieous/pseuds/Lainie
Summary: This is my first solo posting.  And since it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day (all hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!), I figured it was the perfect time to post it.  Several authors/coauthors had been trying to coax and cajole me into posting some of my own crap for awhile now.  "What's the worst that could happen?"  Well, they asked for it.





	1. Asami:  The "Hole" Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my first solo posting. And since it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day (all hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!), I figured it was the perfect time to post it. Several authors/coauthors had been trying to coax and cajole me into posting some of my own crap for awhile now. "What's the worst that could happen?" Well, they asked for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is dedicated to my "Spaceball" partner in crime, Heth-whatever-the-hell-her-name-is-this-week, because as we both know: no matter where you go, you're surrounded by Assholes!

It was after 3 a.m. when Asami finally arrived back at home. Even with no lights on, he moved quietly through the penthouse, not wanting to disturb the (most likely) sleeping blond in their bed. It was more than likely that Akihito was still tender and feeling worn out from their vigorous horizontal workout twenty-odd hours earlier, so the businessman thought he'd take pity on his kitten and let him sleep. No doubt he'd catch up to him in the morning, even if it was only for a relative quickie before he got up for work. 

Slipping under the covers, he gently moved so as not to jostle the mattress or the vague lump covered up by the bedsheets. Neither hide nor hair nor any other body part was visible, leaving the older of the couple wanting to carefully peel the bedding off and gaze at his blissfully unaware boy’s appealing form, teasing himself to only look, but not touch. Being of strong moral fibre, Asami was able to deny himself anything except certain kinds of temptation, especially those that had to do with his kitten, so there never really was any question about not giving in. 

As the sheet was carefully removed from the side closest to him, he could make out that his lover must have somehow rolled the bedding around himself several times, because it was firmly in place and made him resemble a wrapped up mummy. This only thing even remotely human sticking out was one of his fists from the wrist down, loosely clenched. Sighing quietly in disappointment, the older male was reaching over to take the curled up hand in his and softly rub it with his thumb like a worry stone until he fell asleep when the fist was pulled away from him. Not sure if his boy was awake or not, he hesitated a moment to speak when a whispered voice reached his ears.

“Monsieur Asami, please, do not be, ‘ow you zay, alarmed. Aki iz still asleep, but I felt I needed to speak to you before I departed.” Frowning in confusion, he wondered why the boy was still pretending to be sleeping when that horrible accent was clearly in his voice; and why were the fingers folded over his thumb clenching tight then relaxing in time to the words…? 

“And whom, or what, may I ask, exactly am I speaking to?” he whispered back, completely unsure of what was going on.

“Ah, bien, I am Takaba Akihito’s asshole.”

Asami crocked an eyebrow, quite sure he had heard incorrectly. “Excuse me?”

“I am, Monsieur, Akihito’s. asshole.”

Now totally focusing on the strange appendage before him as the bump in the bed by his side remained completely still, he was more than a little confused at what was happening. “…I see.”

“Monsieur, I needed to make myself perfectly understood tonight about why I am leaving you.”

Asami went completely still at those words. “Akihito. Are you saying you want to leave me.”

“Non non, monsieur. Akihito iz perfectly ‘appy to be ‘ere with you. ‘E is not the one leaving; it iz I.”

“Oh.” Asami was absolutely lost in this situation. He did, however, have a growing desire to punish his boy for saying those words he never wanted to hear from his lips, for making him feel like he was floundering in ways he hadn’t felt since he was a teenager, and above all for making him crave a smoke so desperately at four in the morning. “So, why do you want to leave?”

“Monsieur, I ‘ave ‘ad enough. Bad enough, you go off on your business trips and abandon me for days on end. Then, you turn around and overwork and abuse me. Most recently, I have been ass-saulted so much, I finally fell off.”

Asami almost snorted at the idea of his Akihito’s used and abused orifice having finally had enough and falling off his body to plop onto the floor and just lie there quivering. An idea was starting to form in his mind, but he’d have to see how this played out for a bit. “But surely this situation can be salvaged.”

“Perhaps ze situation can be salvaged, Monsieur, but I am quite certain zat I cannot. My time iz long past, and I must go to save myself.”

“But what about Akihito?”

“I’m sure ‘e will be alright. ‘E’s lived without assholes in ‘is life before and ‘as been perfectly fine.”

Ohh, his little kitten would pay for THAT one. “Is there nothing I can say, or do, to apologize and make you change your mind? Since you came into my life, I’ve become quite fond of you. Addicted, even.”

“And zat, monsieur, iz my point. I 'ave never been so stuffed, and crammed, stretched out beyond all endurance and worn out to nothing az since I came ‘ere with ‘im. Quite literally, I am fed up to ‘ere with it.”

And that, right there, was when a very tired Asami almost lost it. Barely keeping his giggles under control, he breathed in deeply several times through his nose to calm himself down, only to detect a suspicious… odour. “Was that you?”

“You zee?! I ‘ave become zo loose and slack I ‘ave no control of ze gas any more. And it’z all your fault.”

Containing a smile, Asami decided it was way too early for this shit (!), and he was going to take care of it, right. now. Then message Kirishima he’d be staying in tomorrow. But first things first.

Softly caressing the bitterly complaining "opening", he used his Sexy Bedroom Voice to take control of the situation. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was taking you for granted. I just love how you feel surrounding me, how you twitch and slowly relax under my ministrations, how you become so aroused you try to suck my fingers in before my kitten’s ready. If I promise to take your need for rest into consideration from now on, can we try to work this out? If you go, I’ll be worried about you, missing you so much, and I know Akihito would be very unhappy without you. What do you say, hmm?”

The lump under the sheet was starting to move a little, no doubt affected by his lover’s coaxing. Or trying to strangle himself by not laughing. “Pretty words, Monsieur… But ‘ow will I know everything won’t go back to usual once morning comes, eh?

“I am only human. But, I would do anything to keep my Akihito and his asshole happy, together and content. I sometimes may need a reminder or two down the road, but truthfully, all I want is what’s best for you, so you’ll want to be mine for a very long time. Stay here, with me.”

He’d sometimes thought that his kitten’s wild ass had a mind of its own in the past, and he was pretty sure listening to it debate out loud the pros and cons of staying or going had him convinced. If only he could have recorded this, he’d have indisputable proof to show Kei and Kazumi of that fact next time they had drinks together.

“Very well, Monsieur. I ‘ave decided to stay and see if you will change your ways. But remember, Asss-ami: this iz your one and only warning. If someday you wake up and I am gone, you ‘ave only yourself to blame.”

“Understood. But what should Akihito and I do if you ever did leave?”

“Well then, I am sure ‘e would enjoy watching you go fuck yourself.”

Asami had to agree that that would only be fair. All this time, he had been moving about slowly and stealthily so as not to disturb the bed hump, who obviously, if he thought he was getting away with this, was pretty disturbed already. He let his fingers wander over the top of his night stand until they closed over what he had been feeling about for. He stalled just long enough to get a better grip on it by asking “By the way, I’m not familiar with your accent. You rather sound like a Latin pirate. May I ask why?”

“But of course, Monsieur. Aren’t all pirates and Latin men assholes?”

Not having a w(hole) lot of experience with people from either community to really comment only, from what he did hear about Belgium arms dealers, Montreal male drivers and so-called Asian "pirate lords", though, he had to agree. Gently touching the “asshole” in bed beside him, he took several seconds to tickle and pet it like a finicky cat before pressing the remote control in his hand. As soon as the hidden door started to open with its familiar growl, Akihito, startled, bolted upright in bed and threw the covers off, only to play into his bigger lover’s hands by giving him a lovely waist to wrap his arms around and haul him out of bed. Not even giving his boy, (or the boy’s asshole), a chance to struggle or protest, he carried him/them into the secret room and threw him/them hard enough on the bed in there that the brat had bounced and was in midair when he hit the "close" button, dropped the remote and pounced on his shaggy blond kitten to secure him spread eagle on the bed. Suddenly made nervous by the turn of events, Akihito lifted his head up to look around when Asami got up off the bed and moved away humming happily. He gaped like a hooked fish when he noticed that his personal dark haired sex demon was opening up a cabinet or two to peruse what was inside and retrieve some items.

“Asami, what the fuck?! I haven’t seen or heard from you since you bulldozed my ass early yesterday morning. Can’t you take a little joke?”

“Oh, my cute little Aki-hi-to, I can take a joke. But when I at first thought I was going to lose something precious to me, and then managed to convince it to stay, I just was so delighted, I decided to throw a party. And look…” he said with an evil smile as he turned around to show his boy that he had about a half dozen assorted vibrators, fancy butt plugs and other toys in his hands. “Seems like our favourite guests have all shown up.”

Wide blue eyes went from Asami’s face to what he was carrying, then flopped back on the bed theatrically as he screwed them shut tight and swore. “Merde.”


	2. Suoh:  “Let No Good Deed…”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akihito was by now rather familiar with how much Luck loved to fuck with him. But when it involved someone from his disreputable past, things go from bad, to not so bad, to the absolute worst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is dedicated to my first author, Sleepy_robin, who needed a beta and took her chances with me. I showed her the first part of this update earlier this year; and she, along with a few others, encouraged me post it. So here you are, hon, the ending to the story you read. I don't think it ended how you thought it might, though...

This time Akihito knew it was just a simple case of “let no good deed go unpunished”. He had stopped on the way into their building to help one of the older ladies and her cab driver carry some bags to the front door of the lobby so they wouldn’t get soaked in the wet snow that had started to fall. She still had her wallet open from paying for the cab, and was trying to pressure him into accepting money for helping, and he was good-naturedly fending off the offer when she let out a gasp, and Akihito felt something press against his neck by his earlobe before he blacked out and slumped like an over-cooked noodle. His new guards, assigned just the day before, were outside the building entrance, already unconscious and out of the way, the others being too far away to prevent his limp body from being carried to a waiting car and being driven off.

He came to soon afterwards, stuffed upright between two big, lumpy bodies in the backseat of a car that was too small for just one of them. Besides the cramped quarters, Akihito could tell it wasn’t like one of Asami's cars: the seats weren’t leather, and the suspension was for shit. Plus, his wrists were zip tied together in front of him, and there was an honest-to-god cloth bag (or rice sack?!) over his head. He considered himself somewhat of an abduction connoisseur, after being kidnapped every so often either because of his association with Asami and his legal or otherwise businesses, or because he seemed to be a lightning rod for trouble all on his own. And he certainly wasn't complaining about not being rendered docile by the usual drugging, getting hit over the head, beaten, being shoved into the trunk of a car, chloroformed, punched in the jaw or carted off via helicopter. Except… he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that some refugee from a Star Trek convention had used the Vulcan Nerve Pinch on him…

The car they were in slowed down eventually, and made several tight turns before dipping down at an angle. Underground parking? After the vehicle stopped, he was “helped” out of the car, hustled along between Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumbass, the latter steering him along by means of a big meaty paw about the size of his head firmly on his shoulder from behind. After none too gently helping the kidnapee up some steps, they marched him down a loudly echoing hallway, and into a room. There, after being set down in a chair, the bag on his head was removed, but the zip tie around his wrists wasn’t. One of the Dumpling Twins stayed with him, keeping an eye on things while the other headed out the heavy fireproof door of the room. Aki looked around the room, classifying it as “standard basement storage room” and not much help letting him know where he was or how he was getting outta there. He heard two voices talking while footsteps approached outside the door, and as it swung open a young man around his age in a suit strode in. Both looked at the other in surprise before the newcomer sputtered “Takaba?! The hell you doin’ here?” 

“Koshiro? I hadn’t heard you’d come to Tokyo. How you been?”

“How’ve I been? What kinda shit you get up to now to piss somebody off?”

Akihito grinned and shrugged. “You know me, my charm and winning personality never fail.”

Koshiro shook his head and grinned himself as he walked further into the room, unbuttoning his suit jacket and motioning the men with him to leave. “If you’re depending on your so-called personality to get by, man, are you fucked.” As the door closed behind them Aki stood to greet his old pal from his troubled teens and gave him a hug, his broken zip tie left behind on the floor. Stepping back to the door, Koshiro spoke to the men waiting outside, and shortly a second chair and a small table appeared, accompanied by a paper bag that produced fries, cheeseburgers and shakes. While they ate, they talked about what all they had done since Aki got in trouble with their bunch of young hooligans and had gone back to finish high school while Koshiro, not having that option, had continued on to make his own way in the world, then transferred his allegiance to an actual street gang and worked his way up into the Tokyo chapter. Akihito was looking over pictures of Koshiro, his girlfriend and their baby girl on his phone when one of the T.H.U.G.s (The Horrendously Ugly Goon) stuck his head in the door, looking troubled, and requested to speak to Koshiro-san. They conferred for a few minutes as Akihito finished the last of his fries, then he came to the table with the blond’s wallet and phone. Setting them on the table, he sat down facing his buddy in crime with a serious face, asked if he’d had enough to eat or if he needed to use the amenities, then quietly put Asami’s, Kirishima’s and Suoh’s personal Sion business cards with their office contact numbers on it, and turned Aki's phone around to show it’s screen lit up with one of the numbers calling him, several voicemails left and numerous missed calls. Akihito sighed, knowing their time of playing catch-up was over. Koshiro was silent a moment longer, then said quietly “When I was told that my guys would be picking up a photographer by the name of Takaba today, I thought it was a funny coincidence, because who would I know who’d live at such an upscale address.” Akihito looked down at his phone, not saying anything. “How do you happen to know someone like Asami Ryuichi?”

Akihito shrugged, still not looking at his bud. “Where your guys picked me up… I live there. With him.”

Koshiro closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers between them. “Is that who’s been calling?”

“No. He’s out of town with his secretary, on business. This is his number two guy. Suoh Kazumi.”

Koshiro breathed out an unhappy “shit”, then looked at the phone on the table. “Well, I guess we’d better get this taken care of, then. Do you want to call him, or…” he was interrupted by the phone screen lighting up again.

Reaching over to get his phone, Aki picked it up and answered it. “Suoh, I’m fine. How’re my guys.” He listened, um-hmm’d once, then admonished Suoh to tell them it wasn’t their fault, random shit just happened around him (Koshiro and Suoh unknowingly concurred with that theory wholeheartedly, both from experience). He then listened a moment longer, glancing up at Koshiro, then told Suoh to hold for a moment, and muted the call while he looked uncomfortable and asked his old cohort if he wanted to take over the discussion for his return himself, or put the call on speaker for both of them to hear. Feeling that his best bet was to keep Aki on his side (and out of trouble), Koshiro asked to have the call on speaker. After acquiescing, Akihito introduced Koshiro and gave a bit of their background together before turning the call over to him, listening miserably as one of his old peeps and one of his newer friend at court discussed how to rectify this situation. All three knew not everyone might be going home at the end of the day. Asami-sama was the unquestioned ruler of Japan, and whether he was sitting on his throne in Sion, lying on top of his boy, or seeing to business in some back alley of a dockyard, he and his was not to be messed with, for good reason. At one point, when Aki saw his bud, he let himself think that once he had found out who and why he had been grabbed, he and Koshiro could work something out, maybe get by with the blond getting worked over and released, then he could spin some line of bull about whatever photos he was in shit for taking, not knowing who’d grabbed him, and it would be left at that. But once Koshiro knew who he “belonged” to, he had superiors to answer to and subordinates to look after, and his own little family to consider as well. He was as helpful with the info he had been provided for Akihito's pickup as he could be, while simultaneously reporting to his bosses what the situation was, and waiting for orders on how they wanted him to proceed so that the whole gang wouldn’t be wiped out. What Akihito knew was that when both Asami and Kirishima were incommunicado for any reason, Suoh had specific orders that had to be followed. While he had leeway for most situations that came up, anything involving his friend and employer’s boy had both non-negotiable and harsh consequences. 

In the end, Koshiro’s bosses up and down the line decided that he should be volunteered to be the designated sacrifice, “since it was his team that screwed up”. Maybe those that cared thought that since the target knew his abductor personally, he could use his influence to prevail upon Asami-sama to spare his friend, and by extension, his friend’s “street family”. If not, well, better one middling supervisor sacrificed for reparation than the whole organization eradicated, top to bottom. Because nobody with any sense at all fucked with anything that belonged to Sion. 

Koshiro got the message on his phone as Aki was trying to wheedle Suoh into overlooking the fact that a friend from his past was responsible for dispatching a pair of economy sized sumo that had staked out his boss’ apartment building, disabled several important Sion security team members and kidnapped his boss’ lover. Good luck with that. Meanwhile, he began dismissing his team members, sending them off with instructions to lay low for a couple of days before contacting his supervisor directly; no gossiping or spreading rumours about what took place here, and no calling or texting each other in case they were being hunted. And then he took over the call that his little blond bud was arguing so passionately but losing so, so badly by lifting the phone out of his hand. He gave the address, the directions and the security code to the underground shipping doors to let the men from Sion in, telling the man on the other end of the line that he would be waiting there with Akihito, keeping him company. With that, he sent his last report in to his boss, and put his own phone in his jacket pocket, next to his ID. He doubted he’d need to use it anymore.

When the cars rolled into the basement loading dock area, the blond and his unfortunate friend were sitting on the concrete stairs; not talking, just looking like two guys hanging out after college classes, except one was in a suit. Suoh got out of the back of the BMW, watching his men sweep the vicinity. He focused on his friend’s boy, really starting to wonder how Takaba-kun didn’t hate him when he seemed to be the one that had either left the boy to his boss’ mercy the night they first collided, or had been the one to fetch him for one of Ryuichi’s whims when the blond still thought he had a chance in hell of running about free. He just didn’t want to be faced with a desperate Akihito that was still trying to bargain for his pal’s life; but other than the occasional subdued sound or monotone sentence, Sion’s head of security didn’t hear too much from either young man as he approached them. 

The one in the suit stood up when he got up to them and bowed low, introducing himself and his station in the unremarkable gang he was part of. The kid had some manners and style as he explained that the kidnapping was the result of another higher-ranking gang calling in a favour that was owed them. He assured Suoh that Akihito had not been harmed, and that he was ready to do whatever atonement Asami-san felt was necessary for being slighted by his “family”, so that Asami-san might be moved to forgive them and forget any grievance. Before either the kid could straighten up fully or Suoh say anything, Akihito stood up and quietly spoke. “Kazumi-san, I think we can agree that you owe me enough to at least listen to me this once.” Not letting his blank features twitch a millimetre, Suoh nodded his head for the kid to speak, thinking that without his usual spark and determination, Takaba-kun looked almost pale and weak, making him feel more for the boy than he normally did.

He put that notion aside to concentrate on what Akihito was saying. Instead of pleading with him, though, Takaba-kun made a pretty credible argument that as head of security, Suoh had a great deal of say in whom he hired for security personnel. Seeing as how Koshiro had come upon the blond after he had been kidnapped and liberated him, had taken care of him and made sure his needs were met before contacting his rescuers, letting them know where he could be found, and then stayed behind with him until they arrived to make sure of his safety, didn’t that sound like an ideal candidate for the Takaba security team?

Suoh stopped and thought about all the angles of this proposal: he figured out that Akihito knew this in no way mitigated the other boy’s ultimate sentence. Only Asami-sama could rescind a decree that he had issued, Kirishima or he could only amend or postpone it within limited circumstances. So Takaba-kun was trying to, what, make it up to the other kid somehow? Sorting through the possibilities quickly led him to the only answer that made any sense in this case: Takaba’s friend would receive the benefit package his special team members got when they signed on to look out for the kid. It wouldn’t be the retirement package, or the health plan; both of those where pointless for him now. Ah, the survivor benefit then. Takaba-kun somehow knew about the death benefit for his special team: danger pay plus their salary for their last duty, all final expenses taken care of for the deceased plus the ongoing survivor benefits: the continuing monthly payments and health care for any spouse and children or other designated family members left behind. Sion did look after its own, especially if that person was looking out for the people most valued by the company’s CEO. Ok then, he could work with that. Ryuichi and Kei had never questioned him about his hiring or promotion choices before; and there was no rule saying he couldn’t do this on his own. Considering how many bloody clean-ups of Sion’s “business” he’d done himself or personally supervised, he’s gladly do this for Akihito-kun. And if his friends had a problem with his decision, well, they would just have to live with that.

Voicing his agreement with Akihito, he was quietly relieved to see a bit of the tilt to the blond’s head come back, even though his eyes were still flat and dull. He would have to mention in his report tonight that Ryuichi would need to take special care of the kid for a while; kind-hearted people like him felt too much for their own good. After calling for his tablet, he started asking rapid-fire questions of Koshiro, asking about past supervisory and other “work-related” experience he had in his old gang. Completely lost, Koshiro just stuttered out his answers while half thinking to himself ‘of all the fucking days, how’d I get a break today?!’ When Suoh finally got around to asking him who he’d want to designate as his next of kin, he finally understood. Glancing at Aki, he saw the boy standing by just close enough to offer him moral support, and probably jump all over this Suoh person if he didn’t do things right. Looking back at the waiting giant, he breathed out slowly, then named his girlfriend and baby daughter as his beneficiaries. Feeling overwhelming relief that his real family was going to be taken care of after he was gone, he wasn’t even worried about what kind of punishment he would face for his bosses’ mistake. The two people he loved most would be looked after. Trying hard not to lose his composure, he wanted to go over to Aki to thank he, just to see him standing toe to toe with the hulk of a man. That stubborn chin was finally back, and he was glaring up at the bigger blond. “Let him call them.”

Suoh shook his head no. “Takaba-kun, I don’t know that that would be a wise…”

“Kazumi. Let him. Call them.”

Closing his eyes tiredly and wondering why he’d even bothered, Suoh gave his blessing. Turning away, the young blond walked over to his friend, held out his hand and said firmly “Unlock your phone and give it to me.” Blinking a few times, Koshiro did as he was told, watching as Akihito opened one of his screens, touched it several times, and held the phone out to him. He took it and looked at the screen to see his girlfriend and daughter’s picture on the screen as her number was already ringing. Everyone nearby could hear the rings over the phone’s speaker mode, and when the call went through to voicemail, a pin drop could have been heard throughout the large space. That any of the security team members might have to die so their bosses and Takaba-san could survive was accepted; that Takaba-san would insist on giving a doomed man some peace by letting him have the chance to say good-bye to his loved ones was more than most of them had any right to hope for, so they respected their newest teammate’s wish to leave a message uninterrupted.

After leaving a short message about how he hadn’t wanted to say anything before, but he just heard today that he had been hired at Sion for their security team, and his new-hire paperwork had just been completed. He was now a legit salaryman! He had to leave today to be included in the current orientation and training program, or else he’d have to wait for the next one before he could start working for them. He said he’d miss them while he was gone, and he told them that he loved them both. And then he hung up. 

Akihito was miserable, thinking that this whole mess was his fault, trying his best not to tear up. Suoh honestly didn’t know how the kid went on, day after day, after being hurt so many times in so many ways by so many people. A lot bigger, tougher guys he’d known would have cracked by now, but the little blond would take a little while to work things out, then start right back up again with his piss and vinegar attitude. This time looked like it might take longer to recover, though. Suoh called him over, saying it was time to go now. Takaba-kun took one last look at his friend from his misspent youth, and gave him a heartfelt hug. Koshiro returned the hug, thanking him profusely and telling him softly to take care of himself. Akihito let go and turned away with a sniffle to follow his guys back to a car, leaving Suoh and his team behind with his friend. 

The remaining men waited until they got conformation that Akihito was away from there and in traffic, heading for Sion to be checked out and to wait in protected comfort until they heard from their boss what he wanted done for the boy. Suoh doubted he’d be willing to stay at the penthouse alone tonight, and thought the best thing for him might be to go get drunk with his team at one of their clubs. When he turned his attention back to the unwelcome task that still remained, he saw the other boy just staring at his phone, looking at the slideshow of photos of the girlfriend from when they met, to the two of them moving in together, through the girl’s pregnancy, then the baby pictures, and finally stopping at the two happy faces he used as wallpaper on his phone screen. Turning the phone off, he slid it into his inside jacket pocket, he murmured to no one in particular “He really is a sweet kid, isn’t he.” Then realizing he had an audience, he bowed to Suoh again and said “Thank you for what you did. Now, I am ready...”

Suoh’s hand shot out and caught the boy’s neck as he straightened, and used his considerable strength and weight to slam the back of the male's head onto the edge of one of the steps hard enough to cave his skull in and send shards of bone into his brain. His body was dead before the blond giant released his grip and let the twitching body slump onto the stairs, the faces of his beloved and his daughter the last image in his mind as his synapses stopped firing.

Suoh felt the boy’s neck pulse to make sure he wasn’t alive and suffering, then took out his own phone and called one of Sion’s pet cops to report a fatal “accident” involving one of their employees. The wake could be held tomorrow with at least one of the security team there keeping vigil with the body until some or all of the boy’s ashes were interred at the company grave. And he had to let Akihito know the wake and funeral details. After all, he owed him that much.


	3. Takato and Kou:  Jingle My Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May I just say, this update was inspired by a bunch of questionable holiday sweaters that were for sale at the local mall this year. They were shameless, tasteless, and OMG I wanted to buy them all!
> 
> This is a holiday birthday present for hikaru_itsuko. Hope you had a Merry Christmas, Dumpling, and I hope you had an even happier birthday too, hon!

Aki and his bros had been celebrating Christmas Eve together. This year, they’d gathered at Kou’s apartment, as Asami refused to have the scent of the KFC eleven different herbs and spices lingering in the penthouse, no matter how much of a traditional meal it had become in Japan. It was a rare treat for the boys, and in such demand for the holiday that Kirishima had had to put their order in at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken location back in the summertime. Same with the sponge cake for dessert.

They were getting together tonight because Takato’s wife and baby were visiting her parents while he had been at work that day, and the little family would be spending Christmas Day together once she got back in the morning. Kou had found out he was taking a late Shinkansen train home to go see his parents tonight as Aki’s present to him this year. And Aki wasn’t home because Asami was out of town on business. Again. So, instead of just sitting around, feeling glum that he wasn’t spending it out at an idyllic dinner with his man, the boys ate, had a beer or two, exchanged gifts, and got ready to head out to one of Sion’s “younger” clubs for awhile. 

Feeling a little warm and flushed from the alcohol, the blond excused himself to duck into the washroom and pulled off his warm outter shirt, just leaving his holiday long-sleeved t-shirt on. He had decided to get one on a whim from a shop on the way over, but there only seemed to be one style left in his size in the store. It was a dark green shade with a large vivid red and white striped candy cane that covered most of front of the shirt, with the tip of the cane ending where the hem was tucked into his jeans. Akihito called their ride to be ready at the building’s front door in ten minutes, then shrugged his coat on as they left the apartment. Bad news: they didn’t have the limo tonight. Good news: they had the Lincoln Town Car instead. Still big enough and stylish enough to make the scene. Their driver was waiting by the car and greeted his charges with welcoming nods as they piled in, familiar with the group from past excursions.

Once they were welcomed into the club by the manager, they had their coats collected and then they swept up to their reserved V.I.P. table. The lads settled in for a drink or two, maybe to dance a bit, and just chill. However, the relaxing part seemed to be rather elusive as the table kept getting approached by various party girls and boys who were bent on propositioning Aki. Now, as puzzling as this all was, the Aki in question was getting somewhat miffed with the attention directed at him, and just about lost it on the last guy that tried to pick him up. He’d actually gotten up out of his seat to confront his would-be Romeo and sent him packing before Asami’s men got hold of the guy and did Very Bad Things to him. When he turned back to sit down, he caught sight of Takato’s mortified face and Kou, looking wide-eyed, with a hand covering his mouth in shock. Takato finally shook his head and hissed at his bud, “Where did you get that shirt?!”

“What? I bought it on the way over to Kou’s place.”

“And you didn’t think what was on the back might be a problem?”

“Uh, it’s just something in English. Who cares.”

Takato faced palmed himself as Kou tried to cover his sniggers and failed miserably. 

“Aki-chan, did you even try to read it before you bought it?”

“For fuck’s sakes Kou, don’t call my Aki-chan. And you and Takato both know English was never my best subject in high school. Why?”

“Because, genius, besides having a big-ass candy cane that probably goes down the front of your underwear, on the back it says ‘Well, it’s not going to lick itself’”.

The dawning look of horrified realization slowly spread across the mouthy blond’s face. “Oh shit. I gotta get out of here before one of Asami’s men reports this. Shitshitshitshitshit!” he cursed as he made his way from the table down the stairs to the coat check. Blushing hot red, he hid inside his coat as his two so-called friends took their sweet time catching up to him, commenting between themselves on how “easy” some people were, while others were just flat out teases and attention whores, and the rest just didn’t have no morals whatsoever. Both guys were long-since immune to the Aki-Chan Death Glare, and began singing off key and very badly a recently popular song about looking for the wrong kind of love. 

Aki stomped out of the club onto the sidewalk, looking around to see if he could spot their ride waiting anywhere nearby, sorely tempted that if he found it he’d just get in and leave the other two behind. Would serve ‘em right, the pair of them. He caught sight of the car pulling up to the curb just as one of the men at the door came over to him and politely suggested he look down the block toward the corner. Craning to look over the crowd, Akihito saw a familiar serious face wearing an equally familiar pair of glasses. And if Glasses was here... 

Waving to his guys, he cheerfully wished them a Merry Christmas, and said another ride was here for him as he headed off down the street, accompanied by the Sion employee. All but running up to Asami’s second in command, the blond grinned as he skidded to a halt in front of Kirishima. Disapproving of the boy’s antics as usual, Kirishima adjusted his glasses as he looked the blond over. Apparently satisfied with his inspection, he turned and gestured Akihito to accompany him down the service alley behind the club. Thrumming with anticipation and growing excitement, Aki followed willingly enough. Seeing the parked limo, he had to rein himself in to keep from sprinting ahead to see Asami. A week away was just too damn long! 

Suoh was waiting beside the car’s passenger cabin, bowing his head in return when the young man flashed him a quick smile before focusing on the door that, one way or another, lead to his man. As they arrived at the vehicle, Suoh opened the door and pulled it towards himself. And inside, smoking a Dunhill, was his Asami, raking him with those golden eyes. With a long, hungry look, the dark haired man stubbed out his cigarette and drawled in a wickedly teasing tone, “Well, kitten, are you coming in? It’s not going to lick itself, after all…”. With a shiver that definitely wasn’t from the cold, Aki threw himself into the limo, and both men outside heard the locks engage as soon as the door was shut.


	4. Fei Long:  Sweets for My Sweets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aki was on a flight layover, coming back from covering the Winter Games in PyeongChang when he ran into someone he was pleasantly surprised to see, as well as somebody else, not so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... We're back. It was a longer delay than I had originally planned, but Medical Office Procedures and Medical Language & Terminology classes are real brain-suckers.
> 
> So this one's for Pei + Yang, as promised. It's a thought I'd been toying with in the odd spare moment: what might happen the first time Aki came face to face with Fei Long with no safety glass or dividers between them, no Asami, and no onsen...?
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy.

Aki blew in through the airport arrivals gate like he was desperate to kiss the sacred ground of home. Looking around, he spotted a particular blond buzz cut, standing head and shoulders above the crowd. Making his way over, he was about to give a tired smile to that blank mug above him when he caught sight of the pick-up sign at his eye level, written unmistakably in Asami's bold crisp script, that read "kitten".

Frowning, the smaller blond glared at the taller one for daring to do what his friend, who signed his paycheques, told him to. The taller one looked down with just the slightest relaxing of that normally firm line of a mouth.

"Did you have a good flight, Takaba-sama?"

That got a scowl. "Suoh, what did I tell you to call me when we're by ourselves and no one's paying attention?" That got him an actual lip twitch.

"My apologies, Takaba-san."

"Seriously?"

The giant bowed his head, then partly turned, indicating two more Sion guards behind him who did full bows from the waist towards the boy. Looking like he really, REALLY wanted to face palm himself, Akihito aknowledged them with a half wave, then handed his travel bag to one set of ready hands while he gave his souvenirs bag to the other, entrusting his treasured camera bag only to his lover's head of security.

The quartet headed out of the terminal via the escalator to where the BMW was waiting in Parking Lot 1. Aki noted a second black vehicle parked alongside, close enough that it had to be part of the Sion fleet if Suoh's team was heading towards them. The guard with his souvenir bag handed it off to his partner, nodded to the other car and got in the driver's door. The second half of the pair went to the back, popped the trunk, stowed the bags and made it to the shotgun door as Suoh opened the passenger one and waited for Aki to get in. Which looked like it may not be happening anytime soon as the mini blond got that stubborn tilt to his chin along with his wide-legged stance and his arms folded over his torso. It looked like it might come down to their own little "irresistible force vs. immovable object" stand-off until Suoh pulled out his phone, hit the screen a few times and showed Aki that he had speed dial up and his large thumb hovering over Asami's number. Aki sighed dramatically, let his arms drop, and got into the vehicle; Souh climbed in after him, put the camera bag aside, and closed the door firmly. As the two cars left the airport proper and headed to downtown Tokyo, Aki decided to end the silent treatment and asked his companion point blank: "What's going on."

Suoh turned his attention toward "The Kid" without saying anything. "C'mon, Suoh, if it was business as usual at the office, I'd be on the train now, texting Ryuichi I was headed home. If all was quiet, he'd have met me here with just the limo and Glasses. To have two cars and you here, that means something's up." Suoh nodded at the analysis. The boss' boy was getting smarter, living in close contact with their world.

"Kirishima and the boss are at Sion, handling various flair ups involving business, and other business. Somehow, news that you were away for awhile had become known, and some people sought to test Asami's temperament in various ways while you were gone. Annoyances more than anything, really. But, he decided to err on the side of caution when you returned, while he and Kirishima stayed at Sion."

The boy was quiet for a moment, then rubbed his hand over one eye. "Well, that explains it, then." Suoh crooked an eyebrow, and Aki huffed. "A few times in South Korea, I felt like I had eyes on me. I stuck with the crowd or other reporter crews. No solo gigs, no poking around on my own, no parties. And I didn't try to dodge my babysitters, I swear." Suoh nodded, aware of this from the reports he had received.

"Yeah, well, my trip back was interesting. First, with the split return flight to Hong Kong and the delay before heading back to Japan. Then, as I was standing in line at the Lady M New York Dessert Boutique during the layover, stressing that my departure time might come up while I was still waiting in line. Or worse, that the Mille Crepes cakes might sell out before I got some." The big security chief nodded, familiar with Aki's way of prioritizing things.

"So, there I was, wondering if I could get someone ahead in line to buy an extra piece for me so I could eat on the go, when I felt someone staring again. None too friendly, either. I was just thinking I should scram when I felt a tug on the back of my shirt. It was Tao, with a Baishe guard."

Suoh cursed fervently. Shit, nothing at all about that in his latest updates. What the hell. Akihito waited until the big guy was done before he laughed mirthlessly. "I was some surprised, let me tell you, Suoh. That was one of the bigger WTF! moments I've had recently. Tao was grinning like it was the best joke ever; his escort must've recognized me from before, 'cause he didn't look none too impressed to see me. Anyhow, Tao was smiling and chattering away and pulling me over to a group of tables with lots of Chinese suits at them. I might have recognized one or two faces there, but I definitely recalled the person sitting at the table in the middle of them."

Something on Suoh's face must have betrayed him as he thought the name Fei Long, because the boy nodded once and looked down. "I kid you not, big guy, that was a definite 'shit my pants' moment. Like I woke up in a cage with a tiger and its cub. I musta lost five years off my life. Anyhow, Fei Long just sat there like he was expecting me; like I was a playdate or something for Tao, stopping by to say hey on my way through."

Suoh remained focused on him as Aki stopped for a second, then continued. "He had two other chairs and place settings at the table, and a chocolate hazelnut Mille Crepes cake divided up, with a pot of green tea and a piece on a plate waiting just for me. Dammit, his eyes when he saw me standing there... I mean, I wasn't wanting hugs and kisses, but... I wasn't expecting the remoteness. I guess I kept expecting to look over while Tao was going on and on and see a light in his eyes like I sometimes would if he was relaxed and amused. Anyways, I don't know. He was there with his men, indulging Tao with a short visit with me and a shared treat. No interest in me, or what we were talking about, not even acting like his men were there. He just drank his tea and glanced at his phone every now and then. When the announcement came on for my preboarding check-in, he told Tao that I had to go, and that was it. Tao said his goodbyes, Fei Long barely took notice that I'd left, and a pair of his guys escorted me to my departure gate while not even aknowledging my presence at all. I mean, I was so completely ignored, I was starting to doubt my own exsistance. But when I was on the plane, and we were about to back away from the terminal, I looked over at the departures lounge window wall, and there were the two guards, on their phones, watching the plane. And on the level above, leaning against the railing, was Tao, waving his heart out. And beside him was Fei Long."

Suoh frowned as much as he ever let himself while on duty, not sure how to read the boy's mood. But, as he'd been taught as a child, if he wanted to learn something it was better to keep his mouth shut and his ears open. Aki didn't say anything further about Hong Kong, and within a few moments, he was back to his usual cheery self and talking about his adventure in South Korea. Taking advantage of Akihito getting a call from his pal Kou, he immediately sent a message to his security team at Sion, wanting to know if they'd received any further reports from the kid's chaperones. There was a short wait before the larger blond's phone signaled an incoming call. Glancing at the screen, the giant saw the call was from an unknown number, which, by itself, really didn't mean that much. But still...

Making sure Akihito was still preoccupied with his call, Suoh answered his phone. Before he could say anything, he was cut off: "Suoh Kazumi." Fuck. "Liu Fei Long. Is Akihito there with you."

Suoh blinked before he answered in his normal tone. "Hai. Pick up went as planned."

He could hear a quiet sigh on the other end. "My men found his guardians bodies after he left the arrivals gate. I will have them returned to Sion."

"Thank you. Kirishima-san will make the arrangements with your secretary."

"Of course." The call went silent, then a quiet voice came back on again: "Take care of him", before the call ended. Hanging up on his end, Suoh watched as the wound-up boy had apparently finished his own call and had started texting, probably his other best friend Takato. Suoh filed the Baishe call in together with the 999 other things Takaba Akihito would never find out about. But not before he sent a message to Kei, giving an brief outline of what had happened, knowing Ryuichi would want a full report before he welcomed his lover back home to Tokyo. During that report he would also make sure that his boss knew he should make a personal overseas call of his own to say thank you.


	5. Kou:  Platypus Crossing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kou and Aki have a night out on the town together, and end up delving into the depths of a conspiracy theory of dire proportions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was promised to my personal little devil on my shoulder, Heth. Because she has a skewed sense of humour, she's proud that there's something just not right with her, and on multiple occasions, she's sent me musical customized ecards, which I loathe, to cheer me up. Damn her. 
> 
> Because in the end, we're all frickin' unicorns, right?

Of course, the whole thing had started as a bros night out, but when Takato cancelled at the last minute, (some eye rollingly lame excuse about “having to work late”), Kou and Aki were forced to carry on by themselves. Without adult supervision. Which really explained a lot about what came afterwards… 

Several pitchers of the cheapest beer they could afford had already been split between the two of them instead of the usual three when they decided to call it a night in deference to Kou having to get up early in the morning. After calling for a ride home (ie. asking their VIP hostess to have her boss call his boss to have his boss send a Sion car and escort to come get them), they helped each other into first the wrong coats, then the right ones inside out or wrong side up, and headed out.

After gaining the sidewalk out front, there was some confusion as to whether they were both seeing multiple blurry cars, or if there actually were three black BMWs pulled up out front, ‘cause that many seemed excessive, even for Asami. Because only Sion owned all the dark coloured vehicles in Tokyo, right? When their escort got out of their car and stood patiently by its back door, the boys conferred for a moment, then split the difference and headed for the one in the middle and got in. Fortunately, it was the right ride.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Things didn’t go all that smoothly on the way home, however. Kou started to feel seasick in the back of the car, and putting the window down to hang his head out it wasn’t helping all that much, so the ride was pulled over and the boys got out to walk it off a bit and get some air. The sidewalk, undulating randomly the way it was, made a hard go of it for the stumbling pair, and they soon parked it on a handy bus stop bench. Kou was breathing slowly after putting his head down between his knees in an attempt to not spew forth in public, and after he’d recovered somewhat, he looked up and around to see how far from his apartment building he still was. Catching sight of several familiar landmarks, he relaxed and sighed. Deciding to stay put for a while, he glanced at several nearby street signs and wondered out loud when platypuses had become such a local driving problem.

“What?”Akihito mumbled brilliantly, not catching on to what his buzzed buddy  
had said. 

“Platypuses. When. Did. They. Become. Such. A. Traffic. Hazard, Aki? Is it a recent development, or has it always been here, and just now becoming a problem?”

“Um, I think platypus are only in Australia, Kou. Why?”

“’Cause I’ve been seeing those warning signs all over the place lately, and I’m starting to wonder why.” 

“Because they warn drivers of speed bumps ahead…?”

“Or…, or, are those “speed bumps” really underground tunnels the platypuses have burrowed to get all over the city; you know, spreading out, invading?” 

“Kou, I know what you’ve been drinking all night, so that’s not the issue… So, what, the government’s hiding an invasion of platypus? Platypuses? Platypi? Weird-ass Aussie beavers?”

“Platypuses. And I don’t know. All I know is, everywhere I turn, that flat line, hump, flat line sign is staring me in the face! And why the hell are they called duck-billed platypus? There’s only ONE KIND of PLATYPUS, fer fuck’s sake!!!”

The blond was starting to get rather concerned about his friend, vague thoughts of alcohol poisoning of the brain floating about in his own pickled mind. Still, trying at least to keep his friend conscious in case he had to be rushed to a hospital emergency ward, he let Kou keep on talking. 

“What I think is going on is, those aren’t tunnels that the platypuses travel through under the streets of the city. I think they’ve been dug up in quiet side streets to aid them in their take-offs.”

Akihito shook his head, completely lost and confused, and immediately regretted his actions as he almost ralfed on the spot, right there on the concrete walk. Gaining control over his stomach again, he swallowed the nasty taste in his mouth and concentrated on his friend again. All of them. Just because they weren’t all real didn’t mean they didn’t count. “What are you talking about? What’s using  
them as takeoff runways?”

“The platypuses, dammit!” Kou was so worked up, he didn’t even notice his childhood friend just gawking at him, mouth hung open in shock. “The frickin’ platypuses use them to launch themselves! Listen,” he insisted, starting to see the look of “you crazy” on Aki’s face. “Their bill and flat tail? Those act as wings. Their bodies are just a mass of wiry muscles and connective tissues with eyes, a stomach and a brain. Seriously, they’re terrifying.”

Takaba was still for a second, then slowly started to grin before trying to smother it. “Kou, I love you like a brother, right? And I’ve known you since preschool. Tell me, honestly: before then, did your Mom ever drop you on your head?”

Bleary eyed, his dark-haired bro earnestly tried to make him understand. “Platypuses aren’t really meant to paddle about in the water, Aki. They train in rivers and streams when they’re young to build up their strength, swimming to learn how to handle currents and feeling weightless, becoming supple, and getting used to depending on their protective third eyelids while they’re zooming about.” Taking hold of his friend’s shoulder, he looked him in the eyes, serious as a fart attack. “When they’re full grown, they leave the water, find a quiet place with paving, build those damn humps, then go ‘way back, turn sideways, and gallop (sideways) down the road, gaining speed, until they hit that bump, flinging themselves into the air, and start flapping their bill and tail in time like crazy, and just fly away!”

By this time, the photographer was trying very hard NOT to multitask: namely, a) fall off the bench, b) piss himself, while c) laughing his ass off. Finally, twitching lips aside, he was able to look at an excessively blinking, swaying Kou, and managed to choke out “I take it back. She dropped you at the top of a staircase, and you bounced on your head all the way down, right?”

Kou wasn’t even listening any more, he just had a faraway look in his eyes as he went on: “they swoop around in the dark, just flapping the hell outta both ends, circling, waiting. Waiting for some kid out after dark, hurrying home from cram club or music lessons, then swooping down, catching them by the ears, and carrying them off, into the night…”

“…and then she ran down after you, made sure you looked ok, then carried you  
back upstairs, and banged your head into your room’s doorframe for good  
measure.”

“Why else would they have poison sacks? And spurs?! When they grab you, they stab you, stun you with the poison, hook their spurs into your ear holes, and just carry you off, never to be heard from again”, he mumbled sadly, flapping his hands disjointedly as he started to doze off and partly slumped over. Aki was laughing hysterically, hands on his knees, bent over ‘cause it hurt his stomach muscles too much to straighten up. Finally beckoning the men in the car over, they both carried a weary little Kou back to the car while the blond finally slowed down to a string of snorts as he opened the car door. ‘Shit, I wish someone had recorded this; that. would have been. AWESOME. to play it someday at a special occasion. Like at his wedding… Look, everybody, this is the idiot she married! Gooood luck!’


	6. "The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here in Canada, Christmas Day and Boxing Day on December 26th are both national holidays, and it's traditionally regarded as the Christmas Holidays, not just the shopping blitzkreig that it's become. So, if my chapter debuts a day late, SUCK IT UP! IT'S THE HOLIDAYS!
> 
> Based on the Christmas poem by Ogden Nash.
> 
> Happy Birthday Dumpling!

 

It was early morning Christmas Day, and a blond bed head snuffled as the comforter was pushed away from his yawning face. Mindful of his bed partner, he carefully stretched this way and that, trying not to disturb the well-used muscles all over his body too much, or the man who had put them through their paces ever since Christmas Eve. But feeling warm, comfortable, and very satisfied, Aki couldn’t care less how he ached, and where. He had been spoiled, thoroughly rotten, in every and all ways possible by Ryuichi for the last two nights and a day: sushi, cuddles, massages, sweets, more sushi, all the things he liked Asami to do to him, pastries, beer, horrible horror movies, and did he mention sushi?, and all for showing his interest in his man’s life’s work by helping to protect the honour of Sion.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tokyo’s elite businessmen got together every December 23rd to host a holiday pageant for a variety of children’s groups, and the bragging rights for the best act had belonged to Sion since the first year they were invited to take part in the event. The past two years had been particularly memorable, thanks to the influence of a particular kitten, especially since last year’s pièce de résistance ended with indoor fireworks that shot out small toys with folded parachutes in holiday colours that floated down to the gleeful little hands below.

This year, however, the theatre troupe and acrobats that had been hired earlier in the Spring had replied to Kirishima’s enquiries that week with confusion as they had been told their acts had been canceled earlier that month, and they had in fact been lucky to be able to find last minute gigs to cover their final quarter budgets and pay their members’ holiday bonuses. Kirishima and Suoh had been livid. Their careful plans for a spectacular finale for the show were in ruins, with virtually no time to find a replacement act. Visions of bloody retribution danced in their heads when Asami’s brat had come bouncing cheerfully into the office and almost got his head chewed off. Instead of backing out and running for his life as various employees had already done, Akihito had growled back at their collective lack of holiday spirit. Once they had calmed down and the situation had been explained, Aki had gone quiet, thinking things over. He asked if the troupes had commissioned any specific props or backgrounds for the production, and after confirming there were some with the companies, Aki looked like he had come to a decision. Taking out his phone and calling up his two best friends and their other buds, he asked Kirishima to contact both troupes one last time so he could see what they had to work with, because damned if his he was letting Asami’s company’s reputation go swirling down the shitter without a fight.

With that, he turned about face and marched out of the office, throwing over his shoulder that if Asami wanted to talk to him over the next few days, to have his call his number, ‘cause otherwise, he’d be busy saving his ass' before he disappeared out the door. Asami had called several times, in fact, by turns annoyed, displeased, amorous, somewhat disbelieving, then slowly coming around to the fact that his boy was taking his “day” business as seriously as he did. When he had shown up several nights (or, more accurately, early mornings) in a row, he had carefully picked his way through garbage bags of fast food, snacks and drink cans, sleeping bags containing assorted young men and women splayed out in exhausted slumber, to stand over his boy, the ringleader of this circus, softly snoring away, clutching Asami’s pillow close to him. Despite missing his lover’s presence at the penthouse, he was proud of his Akihito’s determination to defend Sion’s honour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 23rd finally came, and the pageant was underway. It was obvious, to those in the know, that a number of other companies also had their programs disrupted, and something less than what was originally envisioned was being presented now. While the assembled adults were critically judging this year’s festival to those of the past, the children didn’t really care one way or the other, and just went with the flow. Asami and his top men had no idea what Sion’s offering would be like, and as the second to last program began, Akihito’s somewhat more responsible friend Takato appeared by their group, and after introducing himself, he asked if Kirishima-San and Suoh-San could accompany him for a few minutes as their assistance was needed. As other security and assistants came to fill their places around their boss, Asami was looking forward to having this “rescue” project done and having his boy in his arms again.

Just then, the crowd applauded the previous offering, and the lights came up while the stage hands busily worked to clear the stage for the final performance of the evening. Asami himself was intrigued to see what Akihito and his friends could come up with in such a short amount of time. As the finale was announced and the lights dimmed, Asami sat back in anticipation. Whatever else would be said about tonight, he was certain his boy would make it memorable.

As the stage curtains were pulled back, backlighting and “cast iron” street lamps with flickering lights gave a street scene of tall, narrow painted red brick buildings with flaked foam snow on the trees and ground gave the aura of a 19th century winter dusk. Candles in glass lamps shown through faux windows, and holly trimmed ivy wreathes were hung on doors. The illusion was inspired, and gasps and murmurs of appreciation were heard in the crowd. Asami almost choked on a sip of his drink when who should appear in a top hat and coat with a knit scarf wrapped around his neck but his friend Kei, starting to speak in the voice that he used for large group meetings, announcing the name of a poem called “The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus”. 

_In Baltimore there lived a boy._

_He wasn’t anybody’s joy._

_Although his name was Jabez Dawes,_

_His character was full of flaws._

And there was his boy, dressed up like a stereotypical ragamuffin of that era, newsboy cap on his head, smudges on his face, sweater and baggy short pants, fingerless gloves busy lifting apples and other little things from various street carts along the way. He then went to slouch against a doorframe, polished the swiped apple on his sweater and took a big bite out of it, savouring his ill gotten treat as Kirishima gave him one of his judgmental looks as he continued:

_He stole the milk of hungry kittens,_

_And walked through doors marked NO ADMITTANCE._

At this, Aki seemed to perk up and looked at a building front on an angle to the audience that did indeed have a door with a “no admittance” sign in old-fashioned script. Sauntering up to it with his thumbs in his waistband, he reached out and tried the doorknob, which was locked tight. Shrugging his shoulders, he seemed to lose interest and went off stage for a moment, only to burst out in a dead sprint, and scampered up the wall of the building, over the lip of the roof, and out of sight. Cries of surprise and delight had barely died down when the window beside the front step opened and Aki dove through it to land in a front roll on the stage. He got up, dusted himself off as he went up to the door again, turned the knob and entered the building. Kirishima just looked more sour then ever, and continued reciting.

_He said he acted thus because_

_There wasn’t any Santa Claus._

The scene lighting then changed to be more like a winter day, and some of the friends Asami recognized from his nightly visits began to walk about the street in period dress. Aki, meanwhile, was doing his best to be disagreeable in the crowd, bumping into people, making some drop an armload of packages, another toss a handful of envelopes in the air, and just being a general nuisance.

_Yet people pardoned every sin,_

_And viewed his antics with a grin,_

_Till they were told by Jabez Dawes,_

_There isn’t any Santa Claus!’_

At this line, Akihito was his worst sassy self, wiggling his hips as he stuck his face into other people’s. One girl gasped and swooned dramatically at this behaviour, just to faint dead away in her escort’s arms while the blond grinned and skipped off scene.

_Deploring how he did behave,_

_His parents swiftly sought their grave._

_They hurried through the portals pearly,_

_And Jabez left the funeral early._

The lighting then went somber, almost dark enough that one couldn’t tell there were buildings in the background; in fact, it seemed more like a hall of some kind with the chairs facing side-on to the audience as Akihito snuck away from the meeting, only to be seen shortly thereafter using one of the coffins on a wheeled table like a kind of skateboard rolling down the street. Asami shook his head as he smirked at his Akihito, while Kirishima just shook his head and frowned more before continuing.

_Like whooping cough,_

_from child to child,_

_He sped to spread the rumor wild:_

_‘Sure as my name is Jabez Dawes_

_There isn’t any Santa Claus!_

This time, the blond was seen popping in and out of windows, rolling under one child’s bed then reappearing crawling out from under another, all while whispering to his fellow actors, girls dressed in flannel nightgowns and nightshirted boys all while he boasted a wicked grin.

_The children wept all Christmas eve_

_And Jabez chortled up his sleeve._

_He sprawled on his untidy bed,_

_Fresh malice dancing in his head,_

This scene was in a messy room, clutter and detritus all over, with Asami’s boy lying down on his front on the bed, legs kicking up behind him.

_When presently with scalp-a-tingling,_

_Jabez heard a distant jingling;_

_He heard the crunch of sleigh and hoof_

_Crisply alighting on the roof._

Aki sat up on the bed, cocking his head upwards while he had a distinctly worried look on his face.

_What good to rise and bar the door?_

_A shower of soot was on the floor._

_What was beheld by Jabez Dawes?_

_The fireplace full of Santa Claus!_

Sure enough, even though the star of the story was braced against the door, shoving his shoulder tight to it in an attempt to keep it closed shut, there was a small puff of black smoke by the bedroom fire grate, and behold, when it cleared, was the biggest, meanest-looking Suoh dressed as an old fashioned Santa Claus. Asami couldn’t believe his eyes.

_Then Jabez fell upon his knees_

_With cries of ‘Don’t,’ and ‘Pretty Please.'_

_‘He howled, ‘I don’t know where you read it,_

But anyhow, I never said it!

These lines were perfectly mimicked by Akihito, using the sweetest, most innocent face Asami had ever seen, clasped hands earnestly shaking as the boy was on his knees, eyes huge and pleading.

‘’ _Jabez’ replied the angry saint,_

_‘It isn’t I, it’s you that ain’t._

_Although there is a Santa Claus,_

_There isn’t any Jabez Dawes!’_

Suoh didn’t say or do anything, and he didn’t have to. If this version of him didn’t put the fear of Santa into all the kiddies there, nothing ever would.

_Said Jabez then with impudent vim,_

_‘Oh, yes there is, and I am him!_

_Your magic don’t scare me, it doesn’t’_

_And suddenly he found he wasn’t!_

There was his kitten, bouncing to his feet, full of piss and vinegar, sassing back at Santa Claus. Absolutely fearless. Just the way Asami liked him best.

_From grimy feet to grimy locks,_

_Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box,_

_An ugly toy with springs unsprung,_

_Forever sticking out his tongue._

_The neighbors heard his mournful squeal;_

_They searched for him, but not with zeal._

_No trace was found of Jabez Dawes,_

_Whichh led to thunderous applause,_

After another puff of smoke, there was Aki, in a painted square box bouncing around unevenly as if on broken springs, a large garishly painted mask covering his face, a belled jesters cap on his head, and Santa was no longer on stage. Actors made up like grownups appeared to search the room haphazardly for the boy, but nobody noticed the Jack-in-the-box in the corner. Eventually they left in a cheerful mood, leaving the room empty and abandoned. Kirishima looked even more grim as he took his top hat off his head, and held it over his chest as if in respect for the departed as he gravely spoke the final lines of the performance:

_All you who sneer at Santa Claus,_

_Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes,_

_The saucy boy who mocked the saint._

_Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint._

Sure enough, there came his kitten’s friend, Takato and Kou, dressed as reindeer. Brown caps with ears and antlers, black noses, and brown sweaters and pants with little tails attached to their brown belts, trotting out onto the stage in tandem. As they came up to the toy’s location, they split up, each taking a side of the box while the lid remained open and lifted it together, jostling the box a little, causing Akihito to bounce around a bit more to keep up the illusion. As they trotted offstage, Kirishima took his bow, the curtains closed, and the performance of the evening was over to thunderous applause.

Once all the various performers of the pageant came out for the final bow, Sion’s group broke into cheers and threw their assortment of hats into the air. Asami made his way over to the performers, who were busy congratulating each other and bowing in thanks to Kirishima and Suoh, sans Santa robes and beard. They all seemed worn out but high on endorphins for pulling off the nigh impossible. And their ringleader was pumped more than the rest. Asami’s kitten had that energy buzz about him that had him wired for sound now, but no doubt he’d be asleep in a corner somewhere in less than an hour or so. Asami informed the group that there would be a wrap party at Sion, and their rides were waiting to take them there. His kitten cheered with the others, and when he was sure no one was watching, he gave Asami a hurried hug before he headed off, leaving the businessman beaming with pride in his boy, and plotting how to spoil him silly for the holiday.


End file.
